The defence and the ultimate fall of Singapore on 15 February 1942 had profound consequences for Australia. The events ended the so-named “Singapore strategy” upon which Australia had been relying for the defence of its continent, leaving it vulnerable to aggression in the Pacific. Some 1,789 Australians were killed and 1,306 wounded during the Battle for Singapore. Fifteen thousand members of Australia’s 8th Division were captured, and of these, more than 7,000 died as prisoners of war. Until the end of the war in 1945, Australians at home had little or no news of the fate of their loved ones, which caused great anguish. National Archives of Australia holds a variety of records related to the fall of Singapore and its aftermath. Most significantly, there are records of discussions by the Australian War Cabinet, and cables between the Australian and British governments, discussing events and deploring the loss of Singapore. Documented in those cables is Prime Minister John Curtin’s famous declaration that Australians currently deployed in Europe and Middle East must be brought back to defend their homeland. There are also pre-war records relating to the building of the naval base at Singapore, and Australia’s attempts to track the whereabouts and welfare of Australian prisoners of war from 1942 to 1945.